Global Day to End Famine 2017 Follow-up

‘So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;it shall not return to me empty,but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.’ (Isaiah 55:11)

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

A month has now passed since we gathered around the world for a Global Day of Prayer to End Famine. In a time when the Church’s commitment and work for justice and peace is ever so relevant, we have stood together – as 120 organizations representing more than a billion people – to pray, to reflect, and to commit to responding to a crisis currently threatening more than 20 million people in Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Yemen.

It is with humility and gratitude that we extend our thanks for your commitment and the actions you are taking around the world, and for the way you have embodied the call for the Church to be prophetic, in mobilizing members and in calling the wider society and governments to make a difference during this unprecedented period of suffering.

In prayer, we stand together, invoking God’s blessing and grace to overcome the famine. Prayerfully we seek to follow God’s word, as fellow workers in God’s vineyard, extending the reign of God, here on earth, striving for adequate nourishment, dignity, peace and justice for all.

In action, through the ongoing work of Churches and agencies in responding to drought and famine, we see people acting as God's hands in the world, alleviating suffering and advocating for justice and humanitarian response.

It is our conviction and our hope that we can now continue to move together, to help make visible the divine in the resilience of those who are suffering, to inspire action and offer support for solutions locally, regionally and globally. As we know that there is a lot still to be done, let us all remain steadfast in our commitment. Here are two ways in which we will continue to pray together:

In the period leading up to the Churches’ Week of Action for Food and World Food Day (16th October), the WCC along with partners will offer updates on famine and share new prayer tools and liturgical resources on a monthly basis, to help partners continue to pray and act, through the life-cycle of famine.

At the end of this month, we will convene faith communities at the regional level in Nairobi, for two days of “Mobilisation of faith communities for overcoming hunger and sustaining justice and peace in the Horn of Africa.”

It is our hope that together, we can continue to mobilise all people of good will to move with us, to ensure sufficient and nutritious food for all.

May we continue on our journey together, and may God bless you, as your prayers and actions continue to resonate in people’s hearts. So that all may live life to the fullest.